


Little Whispers

by Snape_420



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-01-19 09:14:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12407469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snape_420/pseuds/Snape_420
Summary: This is the sequel to my story, Little Bird. Ava has escaped The Sanctuary and Negan's hold, but she is haunted by the horrors of her past and whispers that darken her future. Can she help her friends and family while facing her own trauma? Or will her repressed pain sunder her existence into something unrecognizable? In the world of The Walking Dead, happy endings are hard to come by, and Ava still has a long way to go before she even gets a chance at her own. Can she find it?





	1. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava attends a tense Council Meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to Little Bird:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/9360257/chapters/21194213

Chapter One: The Meeting

 

The sun was just beginning to edge along the world's seam, bringing the constant din of the cicada symphony to a muted tone. It still hummed, but it quieted enough to allow a chorus of frogs and buzzing crickets to join the serenade. Ava kept her pace and made it to the Hilltop before night fell.

"Oi! That you, Ava?"

Shielding her eyes from the setting sun, Ava glanced up at the guard post.

"Eduardo! Hey, I'm late."

"Seems about right." He laughed as he opened the gate and Ava started toward the Big House. She greeted a few people along the way but she was happy she didn't have time to stop and chat.

As soon as she opened the front door she was bombarded by the sound of a heated argument.

"We can't do nothin'! We have to send out more patrols." Gregory's grainy voice filtered through to the foyer.

Ava moved carefully along a group of people in the doorway of the main room. It was standing room only. Her chest constricted but she forced herself to breathe.

"We ain't doin' nothin'! I've got Paul and Darius goin' out tomorrow." Maggie was obviously annoyed.

"Two people? An entire damn patrol goes missing and you're sending out two people? How much ground are they going to be able to cover?"

"I am not risking anymore patrols." Maggie spoke through gritted teeth. "We have no idea what we are dealin' with. Jesus will scout and we'll go from there."

"Gregory is right! It ain't enough. That's my daddy out there."

Other voices rose to argue as well and Ava watched a smug grin crawl over Gregory's face.

"Look," Maggie spoke softly as the voices died down and they quieted even more to hear her. "I realize this is scarin' a lot of people and we are going to get to the bottom of this. But I am not sending anyone else's daddy out there until I know what the Hell is goin' on, okay? We will gather intel and go from there. It has already been approved by the Council. Now, I call for a motion to end this meeting."

"I second." Ezekiel said.

"Here, fuckin' here." Her eyes instantly found Daryl at the sound of his voice. He was standing along the wall and she watched him move toward Michonne, Rick, and Maggie as the crowd began to press around her in their effort to get out.

Ava moved to the side, feeling rather useless. There had really been no point in coming here. She might as well have stayed home. She watched Carl duck out the door with Enid. They were a couple of the first ones out. A small frown pulled involuntarily.

"Ava, you made it." She turned suddenly and her lips shifted into a smile as Jesus moved smoothly to her side, directing her easily through the crowd and out the door. She glanced at Daryl again, but he seemed busy with Council politics. Seeing Dwight move toward Rick made her want to exit even faster.

"So, you're leaving tomorrow?" She asked, turning to Jesus on the porch as the crowd continued to disperse.

"Yeah, Darius and I are going to take a couple of horses out... Gregory does have a point. There is a lot of ground between the area you and Marco heard the whispers and the place the patrol disappeared."

"You're sure the two are connected?" She asked.

"I didn't think they were until I heard about what you claimed these voices were saying. It sounds like a threat to me. Still... I'm hoping we can cover a lot of ground." He stopped short, shielding his eyes from the rays of sun that were throwing the last of their glory across the sky.

Ava turned in the direction he was looking. There was a group of teenagers standing over near the trailers, apparently arguing. She couldn't make out their words, despite the fact that they were heavy on the coming night. She watched three bigger boys hassling a smaller one. She recognized him and started toward the boys with a hurried, "excuse me."

Before she took three steps, however, she saw Carl and Enid approach the boys. Without hesitation, Enid strode into the group and landed a solid punch on the biggest boy's nose. A laugh burst forth from Ava, uncontrolled, and the boys glanced around looking mortified. The small boy, Brian, had been in the dirt but Carl helped him to his feet as Enid stared the trio of bullies down. She didn't have to say a word as they cowered away, muttering.

"Are you okay?" She heard Carl ask Brian. She kept her distance, wanting to see how the young people would handle the situation.

Brian adjusted his glasses and nodded. He was a slight boy; he loved science and reading. The first time he'd met Ava he'd been horribly shy, stuttering to the point she could barely understand him. He warmed up to her, though, and he was eager to talk about books. Both Ava and Meryle had taken an immediate liking to him.

"Those guys have fuckin' walker guts for brains. Ignore them." Enid said.

Brian sniffled, looking at the ground.

"Hey, you want to come check out my carvings? The Fair is in a few days so I got 'em all set up." Ava felt her stomach clench as she watched Carl lead Brian away.

She knew that he was getting ready to leave Alexandria so he could stay at Hilltop instead. As she watched him walk away with Enid and Brian she realized she should have seen it coming ages ago. He'd been coming onto that girl since they'd first arrived at Alexandria. Still, despite a few teasing flirtations, Enid seemed uninterested. She focused on training with Rosita and being Maggie's assistant, which must take up a lot of her time. Obviously Carl thought coming to Hilltop would give him more of a chance. He was also most likely seeking some independence. He was seventeen now...

Ava jumped slightly as a pair of hands moved on her waist, but their familiarity calmed her.

"You came." Daryl's voice breathed in her ear as she felt him press against her.

"I figured better late than never." She said.

"You figured right."

"Ava, you made it! I really could have used you earlier." 

She turned in Daryl's arms toward Rick's voice and they fell away. Smiling apologetically, she replied.

"Sorry, Rick."

"Hold on. Stay there." He looked at her pointedly, then limped away.

"The Sanctuary don't believe it." Daryl said, watching Rick move in the thinning crowd. Ava just sighed and shrugged in response.

Before long Rick made his way back toward her and she could see Dwight and Sherry trailing behind him. Her stomach looped.

"You can ask her yourself now." Rick was saying as he got closer.

"Ava, how are you?" Sherry smiled stiffly and hugged her. It was hardly an embrace, cursory really.

"I'm fine, thanks. You?" Sherry continued to smile in response and Dwight nodded to her.

"Dwight." She pulled her coat closer around herself. His eyes shifted downward.

"We just wanted to hear from the source... I mean, you're sure you heard them?" He asked.

"The whispers? Yeah. I told Rick that." She glanced over at her bearded leader.

"And I told them." Rick said coolly, keeping his eyes on the Sanctuary couple.

"It's just... Well, Lord knows you've been though a lot, Ava. Maybe you were hearing things." Sherry's voice was sweet as honey but Ava's chest flamed with anger nonetheless. She centered her gaze on Sherry's husband as she replied.

"I'd say I've been through about just as much as anyone else." She kept her voice even and shifted her back gaze to Sherry. "I know what I heard."

Sherry looked away, although she seemed to try to hold Ava's piercing gaze for a moment.

"Well, alright than. I guess we'll see what the sentries find. We're sending a team out as well." Sherry turned to Dwight, who was staring at Ava with hot eyes. "C'mon, babe. Let's get everyone loaded up so we can make it home before it's too fucking dark." Dwight nodded and they exchanged cool good-byes.

Rick, Daryl, and Ava watched them go with narrowed glares.

"What the Hell was that about?" Ava asked in a low voice.

"I don't know. I've heard there has been trouble in paradise." Rick said.

"Sherry's a fuckin' bitch." Daryl growled.

Ava quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You shoulda got here earlier." Rick said.


	2. The Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl pays someone a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have posted another addition for this series, which fits nicely between Little Bird and Little Whispers. You don't have to read it, just a little bonus. Here is the link: 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/12494952
> 
> This chapter calls back to this work.

Chapter Two: The Chat

 

_Drip... drip... drip._

The sound crashed repeatedly in his dreams, like a ripping seam or clanging bell, not like the line of tepid dripping water from an unseen corner that it was. His eyes shot open and the fire of his dreams receded.

_Drip... drip... drip._

He sat up on his sad, hard cot and stood slowly, stretching his aching joints. He was not a young man anymore and a lack of fresh air and sunlight, as well as exercise, was not exactly running the fucking clock backward. He made a point to keep up what he could in his small space but regular sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups ran up against a fucking wall eventually. His hands itched for a handle, his shoulders remembered the aching burn of a good, swinging, fucking work-out. That was all long gone now, though.

_Drip... drip... drip._

The sound of the door upstairs interrupted his thoughts, than the basement door. He turned as he watched long, jean-clad legs descend the stairs.

"You came." He said.

"I'm leaving today... for good."

He smiled, gripping the bars of his cell so he could see him better. He still wore that fucking ridiculous hat, but he'd switched his crappy bandage for an actual eye patch. He still kept his hair long, though.

"Good for you, kid. Time for you to be out on your own, don't you fuckin' think?"

"You know I do." Carl replied. "Enid's been on her own for years now," he muttered.

"Hey now," he growled. "That's because her family got ripped to shreds. Watch how you bring that shit up with her."

"I've been through shit, too." Carl's voice was dark and defensive.

"Fuck you, kid! We've all been through shit. Don't you wear it like a fucking badge of honor. All that's gonna do is make your fucking shirt stink."

Carl only glared in response, so he chuckled at his own joke then went on.

"So, how's your old man taking it?"

Carl shrugged, moving around his cage.

"As well as you'd expect. Michonne understands too... Ava, actually, tried to talk me out of it."

Hearing her name sent a hot jolt of fire coursing through his veins. He froze, not even daring to breathe as Carl continued.

"She said she would miss me and so would Judith and Meryle," another shot of fire struck, "but she asked why I was going. I told her it was to train more with Earl... but she asked about Enid."

Carl stopped and looked at him, his eye jabbing his confinement. He started to breathe sharply through his nostrils and Carl went on.

"It was weird. She said, 'How does Enid feel about all this?'"

"Well... How does she fuckin' feel about it?" He prompted.

Carl shrugged again, looking at his feet.

"You haven't fuckin' told her." He said.

"I wanted to surprise her. The Fair is in two days. I thought we could go together."

Negan laughed, a truly unfettered laughter, one he hadn't experienced in months.

"Little bird is smart, boy. I'd pay heed to her fucking questions."

"Fuck you! Neither of you know anything. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you about her." Carl spat.

"Oh, let's not get things motherfuckin' twisted up here... You aren't supposed to be fucking talking to me period!"

"Yeah," Carl laughed as he stalked closer to the bars, "but I'm being specific here. You know people aren't allowed to mention her to you? You know why?" His eyes flicked over toward the desk and cell walls, coated in loose papers. He laughed in a mean way. "Because you're fucking obsessed!"

Negan looked back at the cell strewn with pencils, crayons, markers and paper. Every square of white depicting the same pouting lips, wanton gaze and tousled curls. He blinked rapidly as ink-drawn limbs bent sensually among penciled curves, haunting the darkness behind his lids.

"Can you blame me?" His voice was low and cracked, sinking away from him.

"No." He almost didn't hear Carl's reply but he'd expected it.

Negan turned back to him as Carl started back away from the bars.

"I'm still going." The boy held his head up firmly and Negan smiled.

"Well, fuck kid! I didn't say you shouldn't. But you should go for you... for your own fucking reasons. Not just to chase some piece of fucking trim."

Carl nodded.

Negan let the silence drag for a moment, then he pushed... He fucking had to.

"How is she? How are they?"

Carl's singular gaze darkened but he answered.

"Good... They're like a happy family."

Negan nodded and closed his eyes.

"You know... I mean... She loves Daryl. She'll be with him forever... I mean-" his eyes shot open and he watched Carl put his hands on his hips and look down at his shuffling feet. He was so much like his fucking father. He didn't say anything, hoping the boy would continue on his own.

He did.

"They did have some issue at the last Fair because Daryl was hitting on some girl... or she was hitting on him... Yeah! That's it. I think she called Ava your Little Bird Whore, or something like that, after Daryl turned her down. I don't know... I remember it was a big ordeal... But dad let me drink a lot that night... I can't really remember, but Ava ended up screaming at Daryl."

Carl stopped short.

"I shouldn't be telling you this."

Negan laughed, but any life he'd found had been lost all over again, sunken to nothing. He sighed and stooped down to pick up a drawing. They'd started off fucking crude as shit but after months and months of practice he'd actually gotten pretty fuckin' good.

"Don't tell me shit you already fuckin' know like I'm gonna stop you, kid. They got trouble in fucking paradise? Why not tell me? You've got a better fuckin' chance with her than I do." He laughed again.

Carl glared once more but gazing down at Negan's lewd drawings, he licked his lips. 

"I wish," he muttered, then went on. "Not trouble, they argue sometimes. Daryl should realize how lucky he is." He glanced at Negan, who smiled.

"You don't think he does?"

"I should go." Carl started up the stairs.

"Wait a second! Here..." Negan passed the paper through the bars. Carl scoffed but came over to take it. "A parting gift. Safe fucking journeys, kid. And come fucking visit sometimes. I just live for these little chats."

 


	3. The Peek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A private moment is shared between Ava and Daryl… and one other person.

** Chapter Three: The Peek: **

 

“Jesus-Fuck, Ava!” He struggled to shut the door as she shoved him against it, kissing him deeply.

 He kissed her back, allowing himself to press against the wood as her undulating curves slid against him. His body was responding automatically, hardening and clenching as they melded together. And then she was gone, suddenly, and almost completely. He looked down to see her between his legs, pulling desperately at his belt fastenings.

“Ava...” He started to protest but her mouth stopped him.

 Fuck, she was always so eager. He leaned back against the door and closed his eyes, giving into her hunger. She took him in her throat and let him swell completely within the tightness, then she slowly turned her head, lapping his entire length and sucking hard as she pulled away. She pumped her perfect lips on his length a few times, increasing the suction, then slowed again settling him back in her throat. She did this several times, then suddenly stopped, teasing his head lightly with her tongue.

 “You want more?” She asked, kissing the head of his cock with slow, sensual lips. He groaned as he watched a devious smile curve them and she continued. “Take it.”

 Something overcame Daryl, he found his fingers were knotted in her hair suddenly and directed that delightful smile further down until it was stretched taut. Ava adjusted and he thrust repeatedly, shocked by his own ardor as he fucked her throat almost losing control. But she put her hands up on his thighs and forced herself away, laughing as she stumbled back and fell.

 “Hey, now! Save something for me.”Daryl growled unintelligibly and lunged for her after kicking his jeans off. He pulled her back toward him and pulled her pants off as well, along with her shoes and socks. She was soaking through her damn panties, staring  at him in a way that made him think she wanted to swallow him whole. Her scent wafted up to him, like salted honey and berries. He looked up at her again, seeing her eyes had lined with desperation alongside the hunger now. She bit her lip and Daryl shook his head, wrenching her panties aside.

 She gasped as his lips descended upon her then immediately fell to work, focusing on her clit as Ava crumpled to frenzied cries and pleas and moaning. Her fingers twisted in his hair and he reached up to circle her clit with his thumb as he dropped his tongue lower.

 “Daryl, oh God! Please, yes, there! Please, God! Yes!”

 He smiled against her as she squirmed erratically then went smoothly, softly languid. She looked down at him with a hooded gaze that stopped his heart, twisting over with a sinister smile as she moved toward him. His smile grew as she placed both of her tiny hands on his shoulders and pushed, surprising him with her compact strength as always. He sat back, helping her onto his lap and out of her shirt and bra. She tipped forward and her beautiful breasts right in front of his face begged for his mouth on them. He obliged, groaning as the rosy nipples hardened even more against his prowling tongue. Ava was focused on other things, arching her back to provide him more access while reaching between her legs to direct him into her.

 “Yesss...” She hissed, closing her eyes and rocking her hips. “Right there.”

 She rode him slowly at first, biting her lip again as she gyrated on top of him with smooth circular motions of her hips. She hummed and mewled as she twisted against him, pooling on his chest.

 “Harder, Daryl... I need you.” She groaned into the crook of his neck.

 He growled in response, holding her in place as he started pumping into her. She moaned in approval but continued to beg.

 “Please! Harder, please, oh, please... Fuck!” She let out a shout of surprised satisfaction as he jerked her curls back and gave a particularly hard thrust. “Mmmm... Yesss...” She purred, then yelped as he continued to pummel her, slamming his hips up against her violently.

 Ava shuddered with each merging crash of their bodies and she pulled against his grip in her hair, drawing her body taut like a bow. She’d developed a taste for cruelty as Negan’s hand, he couldn’t deny that. He’d learned to feed it, as she’d always had it; it had only been deepened more at Negan’s treatment. He realized this as his fingers slid against the oddly smooth edge of skin that had been burned by his brand, just as his loins seized and jerked against her beyond his control. His ecstasy was tainted, curled and unfamiliar, wrecking him in uncharted seas of exhaustion as he pulled away from her.

 “Oh, yes,” she purred, starting back toward him, but he continued to pull away. She stopped and he watched the haze dissolve slowly from her gaze. “What’s wrong?”

 “Nothin’.” He got dressed and swallowed the dryness in his throat as she probed him with her eyes.

 “Daryl...”

 He touched her face and the beauty of it made him ache inside. He loved her too much.

 Ava nodded against his hand, then moved to get dressed herself. They moved into the kitchen and she started to make some tea.

 “Carl’s leaving.” She said as Daryl sat at the table and started breaking down his gun. She retrieved some oil from a cabinet as he grumbled a reply.

 “Figured. Kid needs some independence.”

 Ava frowned, setting the oil next to him.

 “I tried to talk him out of it.”

 “Why?” Daryl looked up incredulously as he took the little bottle, along with a worn and stained rag she provided.

 “He’s doing it for all the wrong reasons-” she stopped as the kettle started shrieking. “That girl is going to break his heart.” She mused with disdain.

He just scoffed as he removed the separate pieces of his gun. “Ain’t that what girls do?” He said as he slid the barrel out of the slide and set it aside on his rag.    He realized the silence had shifted as he reached for the oil and looked up to see Ava glaring down at him. “C’mon, you know what I mean.”

She pursed her lips in an adorable way, turning to steep some herbs as she responded.

“Much the same as men, I suppose.”

“Ava, Carl is... He’ll be fine. He can handle himself.” The Kimber’s oiled gray finish shone in the chandelier’s light and he smiled down at it.

“You know how impetuous he is. I really worry about him sometimes. He grew up in this world and he isn’t afraid like the rest of us sometimes.”

“I’d say that’s helped him out more ‘n anythin’ else.” Daryl wiped all the excess oil free, then reached for the individual pieces, setting the gun’s frame aside. Ava set a steaming cup just outside of his work station.

“Let’s hope it stays that way.” She mumbled.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

His breath was coming in short pants through his parted lips. He glanced around the street, but it was empty so he turned back to the tiny windows on either side of the door. He was careful, peering as he watched the two lovers... Ava was on top of Daryl now, riding him in such a slow, languid way it made his heart pull as his stomach tumbled. His gaze focused in on her large breasts, thrust forward as she arched with their beautiful rose-hued nipples. Negan’s drawings didn’t do her justice.

She leaned forward against Daryl’s chest. He could hear her moans though the door. Suddenly, Daryl gripped Ava hard and started pulling her hair as he jerked roughly against her. His loins, already on fire, began to surge and as he heard Ava’s voice rise, begging Daryl to fuck her, they exploded. Carl palmed his pulsing erection with a small groan, feeling the seeping warmth spread with his shame.

He’d come to say good-bye, but he fled now without a word, backing away from the door with stumbling feet. The paper Negan had given him burned in his pocket as he scurried down the street toward his house. No... It wasn’t his house anymore. It was Rick’s house now. Rick and Michonne and Judith’s... not his. He would be staying in a trailer with the rest of Earl’s apprentices until he built up his trade. One day he could get his own trailer, or maybe a house in the Kingdom or Alexandria. Who knew?

He was eager to be off and on his own. Thoughts of his unsure future stretched out before him like an unfurling roll of blank paper, like a hunk of wood not yet carved, not yet given life. It distracted him from his heated encounter at Ava and Daryl’s, but every time he closed his eyes he saw Ava gyrating. Every step he took he felt the cooling wetness of his explosive shame.

Once he got back to Rick’s he quickly changed, then balled his clothes into one of his sacks and said a hurried good-bye. Michonne’s eyes shivered as she hugged him, making him uncomfortable. She was always so strong. Judith, of course, didn’t seem to realize what was happening but she cried as he and Rick set out. He was glad it was just the two of them on the Fair Way.

“You said good-bye to everyone?” Rick asked.

“Pretty much. Ava and Daryl didn’t answer. It’s fine, though. I’ll see them.”

“Course you will. It’s still a small world.”

“Yep.”

“Michonne’s pissed.” Rick went on. Carl grunted in response. “Ava too.”

 At this Carl ducked his face away from his father as he blushed, a redness that progressed with Rick’s words.

“You got all the ladies worried about you, man.”

Carl managed a slight, awkward chuckle. It seemed strangled by his embarrassment.

“I know you’re only worried about one, though. That’s why you’re doing this.”

As his father finished, Carl found his anger flaring.

“No, it’s not! I’m not doing this for some girl, dad. I’m doing it for myself.”

“Oh, well! Alright then.” His dad’s cool amusement just pissed him off more so he kept quiet until they got to the Hilltop. It was early afternoon and the community was thriving. As soon as they were waved in his father was swarmed by admirers. Carl couldn’t help a slightly sneering smile as he watched. Everyone saw his dad as a hero and he knew Rick hated it.

“I’ll catch you later, dad.” He waved and went to drop his things off at the apprentice trailer. It was empty, of course, so he didn’t linger. He caught sight of Enid as soon as he came out. She was sharpening knives in the shade of the Big House.

“Hey!”

She looked up at him and frowned.

“I’m kinda busy, Carl.”

“You need some help?”

She shook her head, finishing the last blade and picking up the pile. “I gotta meet Rosita.”

“Okay. Can we meet up later?”

Annoyance fluttered across her features.

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“Oh, okay...” He shuffled his feet as she walked around him and he frowned deeply. Then he smiled as he saw her stop. “C’mon, Enid. Meet me at the water tower.”

He was sure evoking one of their past make-out sessions would do the trick, but when she turned to him she looked sad.

“I hope that isn’t why you came here.” She muttered. “You know I’m busy.”

He scoffed. “We’re all busy.” He started toward her and her eyes flickered up to his face, specifically his eye patch.

“No. I told you. I’m not feeling it, Carl.”

“Why not? What’s wrong with me?” He bit back his pleading tone.

“Nothing.” She breathed, but she was still looking at his missing eye.

She’d asked to see it once... He never should have shown her. Things had never been the same after that.

“It’s my eye.”

She shook her head and he could see tears.

“I have to go.”

He let her, his own tears obscuring his vision.


	4. The Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava enjoys some time with her daughter at home, but is soon called away by the duties of a harsh life in the Apocalypse.

**Chapter Four: The Home**

“She’s pissed!” Ava laughed as she watched her daughter stomp around the kitchen.

Carol smirked in response.

“Don’t take it personally. I loaded her up with sweets and crackers the entire time, plus I’ve been letting her swim.”

“Carol! It’s too early; it’s still cold.”

Meryle cut her off with ecstatic cries, though.

“Schwimm! Schwim! Schwim!” She ran up to Carol with her black ringlets bouncing as she wobbled on her chubby legs.

Carol just laughed again, scooping the child up.

“Not today, Trouble, but don’t worry. I’ll come take you again tonight. I’m just letting Momma borrow you while I work, okay?”

Meryle squirmed and protested with grunts and noises along with a repeated, “No!”

Ava laughed and accepted the jerking bundle of limbs.

“No! Momma… No! Trubby go. Trubby go!”

“You two better go before she blows a gasket.”

Daryl chuckled, kissing both of them before leaving with Carol. Meryle began to throw an even bigger fit as she watched Daryl leave too.

“No! Dada! No Go!”

“Hush now, they’ll be back. You’re stuck with me, kid.”

Meryle dissolved into ridiculous tears before nuzzling against her chest, prolonging her fit with piteous sniffles. Ava rocked her and sat on the couch. Those big blue eyes looked up at her, darker than her own, a true deep sapphire. They shimmered with tears as her rose bud lips trembled.

“Schwim?”

Ava rolled her eyes with a chuckle. “No, no schwim.”

The fifteen-month-old instantly reverted back into her tantrum and Ava rolled her eyes again as she gently tipped the flailing toddler onto the cushions and stood.

“You have fun with that. I’ll be making a snack in the kitchen.” As she walked away, the screams pitched and her spine reverberated, but she kept walking.

She began to make Meryle’s favorite cornmeal mush with honey. The Kingdom had started a great beehive set-up that they were eager to barter for and Daryl made sure his little girl always had a jar in the cabinet. She hummed as she worked, listening to Meryle shriek and cry. Eventually they petered to pathetic sobs, then exaggerated snuffles. The smell of cooking cornmeal filled the air and that sound stopped abruptly, replaced by the pit-pat of tiny feet.

“Oh, you’re finished? I thought we were on our way to time-out for that one.” Ava said, feeling tiny arms encircle her leg. Meryle groaned in disapproval as she wiped her wet cheeks and nose on Ava’s jeans.

“Nummies.” She mumbled.

“Alright. Maybe if you stop crying and go sit down, I’ll put some honey in it.”

“Yay!” The shriek of approval was almost as load as the previous cries.

Meryle tore across the room toward the dining room table. She clambered up into the child seat that was strapped on one of the chairs and began to fidget with the buckle. Ava smiled as she walked over to help, making sure chubby fingers didn’t get pinched. She reached into the kitchen toy box and grabbed a random assortment to spill onto Meryle’s little tray. Then she went to finish the food.

Feeding Meryle was a battle in and of itself. By the time she’d finished they both needed to change. She towed the child upstairs and over the gate to change her first, stripping her own shirt off in the process. Meryle slipped out of her arms as she was wiping her down, giggling as she toppled the hamper. Ava caught her, changed her diaper, which took another good ten minutes of wrangling kicking legs.

She tossed a simple romper over Meryle’s head, then let her go free as she crossed the landing to her room to change. Of course now Meryle wanted to be right under foot, weaving through the clothes in the closet, trying on her shoes, then settling for jumping on the bed. Ava went into the bathroom to get mush out of her hair, listening to the creaking springs. They slowed as she combed the gunk from her strands and then went silent as she pulled them back up into a bun. Peering out, she saw that Meryle had passed out on her bed.

She heard a knock at the front door as she was laying Meryle down in her crib and hurried over the safety gate and down the stairs, peeking through the windows to see Gabriel. She opened the door to his pallid, unnerving smile, catching sight of Judith holding his hand.

“Good afternoon, Ava.”

“Ava! Ava! Ava can climb. Ava climbs trees!” She grinned down at the three-year-old, motioning for Gabriel to come in.

“I’ve had word that your presence is needed at the Hilltop. It appears Jesus found a source for those odd Walkers and whispers. I believe he brought back a captive.”

Gabriel settled Judith down with toys in the living room as he spoke.

“Daryl and Carol just went out on patrol a couple hours ago.” Ava started.

“They should be there. I can watch the little ones or you can bring them but Rick asked you to make the trip.”

Ava bit her lip as her eyes flitted toward the ceiling. She didn’t really want to go to the Hilltop but of course she would. Still, she’d been looking forward to spending this time with Meryle. She’d been gone for three days and Carol was planning on taking her back with her… Perhaps she would just keep her. It was nice having this time with Daryl but aside from all of the sex they hadn’t really hashed things out much. Carol had insisted on keeping Meryle until the Fair, which was happening in a couple of days. It was her child though, after all. If she wanted to keep her…

Gabriel cleared his throat politely in front of her, moving to engage Judith. Ava realized she hadn’t responded and apologized.

“Meryle is upstairs sleeping. I’ll just leave her with you if that’s alright.” She grabbed her go-bag, which was always waiting by the front door.

She went to the closet as Gabriel nodded and retrieved her belt and holsters, checking each weapon as she strapped it on. She felt her anxiety ease as she placed her treasured Sig P229 on her hip. Daryl had taken the gun from The Sanctuary and gifted it to her. It was worth well over a thousand dollars, or an entire year’s worth of crops these days.

“There’s a mess of cornmeal in the kitchen.” She said as she kissed Judith on the head and gave Gabriel an awkward pat.

“Be safe.” He said over the toddler’s protests.

Alexandria was almost a ghost town and Ava decided to tun to Hilltop. She could use the exercise since she wasn’t climbing as much. She was glad she did when she saw the group that had formed in the large room of the Big House. It was like the Council Meeting all over again. The sound of Gregory’s nasal-choked voice even greeted her again.

“This is unacceptable! Nobody knows what the Hell is going on.”

“Gregory…” Maggie’s voice was thick with venom. “We will get to the bottom of this, all of this! There is a lot to process. Enid is not conscious we’ve made contact with  _two_  new groups and I am dealing with it.”

“Yeah, sure. That boy is like a brother to you. Like a son! There ain’t going to be no justice.”

“You are goddamn right he is!” Maggie’s roar cut him off. Ava watched him cower as she weaved through the crowd toward Daryl. “Have you forgotten who Carl is? Who Rick raised him to be? I don’t know what happened. I realize parents are worried. All of the boys have been detained and we will get to the bottom of this. Now, if you please.” Her tone ended the conversation but Ava could see many of the people milling had disappointment, worry, even anger, in their eyes.

The crowd swelled against her in their effort to get out. She swallowed the lump growing in her throat and tried to keep from getting jostled too much. Finally she made her way to Daryl who was next to Tara and Carol.

“What the Hell happened?” She asked, watching Gregory’s sneer as he left. Dr. Carson was beside him, obviously trying to calm him, but the former leader brushed him off.

“Shit. A lot.” Daryl began, shifting her hair aside as a greeting. “They met a new group herding Walkers on the cliff this morning… over there.”

Ava glanced over at a group lingering in the corner of the room. There were eight or nine of them and as she watched Maggie and Andrew approached them, speaking low.

“From Richmond, ‘pparently. And Carl and Enid got into a fight with some Hilltop boys, damn near killed ‘em.” Ava’s breath sucked in sharply as she looked back at Daryl. He shook his head in exasperation. “Yeah. I know. Enid and the other boys are still out cold but Carl’s awake.”

“Holy shit…” She breathed, trying to process everything.

“Rick’s still out with the herders but we thought it best to get you over here. Paul came back with the captive but Darius didn’t make it back. I think they want you to talk to her about what you saw.”

“That’s what Gabriel said. Alright then…” She watched Maggie leave Andrew with the group of newcomers, coming toward them.

“Ava… I need your help. Could you come with me?”

Ava only responded with a small nod, and hurried to follow Maggie out of the Big House toward the cell barracks.


	5. The Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Carl interact with the new captive Jesus brings back to Hilltop.

Chapter Five: The Prisoner-

 

The cells had been built shortly after The War under the supervision of Morgan. They were set aside from the community near the back tower where watchful eyes were always aware. Guards kept a regular watch within the building as well, at least when it held prisoners. Maggie spoke shortly as she led Ava toward the crude structure.

“We got one of those people, the ones that whisper. She’s just a girl but Jesus said she actually took out a couple of our people. Apparently they snuck up on them. They were wearing… I don’t know, skin suits or something. She still smells like death. I was hoping you could talk to her about what you heard in the woods.”

Ava nodded again as they entered and moved toward the back of a long hallway. Maggie nodded to the guard at one of the last rooms and he moved to open the door. They both went in. The smell immediately assaulted Ava but she didn’t cover her nose, as much as she wanted to. Sitting on a small chair, with her arms tied and legs crossed carefully, was a young girl. She couldn’t be any older than sixteen or so. She was incredibly thin with long, greasy, dark blonde hair. Her face was bent away from them, shadowed and featureless.

“She says her name is Lydia.” Maggie said. “Lydia, this is Ava. She’d like to talk to you.”

The girl offered no response. Maggie gave a silent sigh and a pointed look toward Ava, then started out the door.

“I’m going to go on and get Carl settled and then I’ll be in the infirmary with Enid. Will you meet me there once you’re finished?” Ava nodded once again in reply, turning back to the girl. She was thankful that Maggie left the door ajar.

“Hello, Lydia.” She felt incredibly awkward, running her fingers through the loose strands of hair that framed her face as she paced slightly.

“I like to climb trees. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”

This peaked the girl’s interest slightly. At least her head shifted.

“A while ago I was climbing when I came across a herd of Walkers… the dead. I thought I heard them whispering and when I stopped… Well, I felt threatened. It sounded as though an attack was being ordered. The man who found you, he said your people wear disguises, so you look like the dead. I assume it was your people threatening me. Can you tell me why?”

“Because you breathe.” Lydia’s voice was a barely-there whisper, thin and rattling.

Ava furrowed her brows, squatting down in front of her but remaining silent.

“We don’t trust the living, for good reason.” Lydia went on.

“I can understand that, I suppose. Better the living than the dead, though, right?”

“Wrong.” The girl looked up at her with piercing gray eyes. “Death is the only way of life now.”

Ava frowned again.

“We lost some patrols. Did your people take them… Kill them?”

A decrepit smile answered her question along with a shrug and emotionless words.

“Some we take. Some we kill.”

The small hairs on the back of Ava’s neck stood up and so did she, backing away.

“You will see.”

Ava had no more questions. She left the room, thankful for the dark, drafty hall. The guard nodded to her.

“Where is Carl? Can I see him?”

“Best not, I think. Maggie just brought him in.”

Ava sighed and left the cells, hurrying toward the medical trailers. Maggie was in the first one with Harlan and Enid, who had just awoken a moment before her arrival. She was panicked and obviously in pain.

“No, you don’t understand. They attacked us! Carl  _had_ to defend us… or… I swear, we’d be dead. They were aiming to kill, not just hurt us.”

“Alright, Enid. You need to calm down.” Harlan said, trying to get her to be still.

“Why would they be trying to hurt you, anyway?” Maggie asked simultaneously.

“I punched one of them the other day because they were being jerks to Brian.” Enid said, ignoring Harlan.

“Yes. I saw that.” Ava said quietly. “Jesus saw as well.” She added when they looked at her.

“So, this was retaliation… But really, Enid… You think they were trying to  _kill_  you?” Maggie asked.

Enid’s face fell slightly.

“Well, maybe not at first… Things escalated after we defended ourselves.”

“It seems things got out of hand. But I do believe you, Enid. I believe the other boys instigated today.”

“I think everyone will recover; I’m going to check on the others.” Harlan left the trailer, but Maggie stopped Enid as she tried to get up.

“You stay put. I’m going to see if the others are able to talk and get Carl. Ava can you stay? I don’t want her doing anything rash.”

Ava nodded and took a seat besides Enid’s bed as she sighed and rolled her eyes. Maggie muttered as she left.

“I need to nip this in the bud. Gregory is trying to rile people and I’ve already got too much on my plate.”

 

* * *

 

Carl let out an annoyed groan as he clenched his bruised hand against his thigh, watching a vein of dark red seep between his swollen knuckles. Pain was something he was used to but he couldn’t shake the aggravation of being treated like a damn criminal when those dipshits had been trying to kill he and Enid.

“Can’t be that bad…” A quiet voice said.

His head shot up and he gazed at the wall that separated him from the next cell.

“It ain’t. I’m pissed more than anything else.” He murmured, slowly getting up.

“What’d you do?” The voice asked. It was obviously a girl… soft-spoken.

He didn’t respond, wondering who he was talking to. It must be the girl that Ava had been talking to. He’d seen them when Maggie brought him in.

“My name’s Lydia… What’s yours?” The voice went on.

“Carl…” He offered after another moment of silence.

“What’d you do to make them put you in here? You’re in the same place I am so I guess that means you did something bad… Or you’re here to spy on me.”

Carl couldn’t help scoffing slightly.

“No. I can’t even see you. Not in a very good position for that. Some guys attacked my friend. I beat them up… almost killed ‘em. That’s why I’m here.”

“You saved your friend? That doesn’t seem so bad.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Carl smirked. “That’s why I’m so pissed.”

“Were they really important or something?” The girl asked. “Like the leader’s kid?”

“No. I actually saved the leader’s deputy.”

“You people make less and less sense to me.”

“No. I took it too far. It makes sense. I was just so angry… But I know why I’m being punished. We don’t kill anymore. We used to, but not anymore. We’re trying to be better, to be civil… I get it.” Carl sighed as his frustration diffused slightly.

“So, you don’t kill anyone? Even if they kill your people?”

“Well, that’s the idea… We’re trying to show people we’re better… What we should all strive to be. We’re above killing… or something like that.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“You… You killed some of our people?” Carl’s voice shook slightly.

“Yeah.”

Silence spread again, thick and messy with her casual admission.

“It was my first outing. I didn’t really know what was happening until the attack started… They just started stabbing these guys. I-I helped them, and honestly, I can’t say I didn’t  _want_  to. I regret it now; you guys don’t seem so bad, but we’ve seen so many BAD people. We don’t usually give new people a chance to kill us.”

Carl pressed his ear against the wall as he responded.

“Everyone who’s survived this long knows how dangerous it is, and the kind of things you have to do to survive. Your group… however large it is, you’ve been surviving for a while. I just hope this has all been some kind of… misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” The girl’s voice was incredulous. “I killed some of your people, or helped at least. I’ll have to be punished for that.”

“Yeah, but you won’t be killed. If you answer our questions, help us get to know more about your group. That could stop more killing. We’d be grateful for that.”

“Grateful?” Her voice was small again. “I want to believe you… about them not killing me… about everything. But I’m scared.”

“Look,” Carl forced his voice to be gentle. “You did a bad thing, but if you’re telling the truth you can be forgiven. If you’re lying to us, or if you’re out to hurt us… Let me just tell you that would be a big mistake.”

“I’m not a liar!”

“I hope not.”

Silence stretched again before Carl went on.

“So, you’ve been out in the open this whole time?”

“I was with a big group to start and we met up with more groups over time, groups that had…  _horrible_ stories. I was LUCKY. Moving a lot is the key… keep moving. You will see. This place won’t last long.”

“You’re wrong about that. We’re done moving.”

His door opening suddenly surprised him back into the uneasy silence. He blinked toward the light streaming from the hallway.

“Come on.” The figure silhouetted in the doorframe spoke with Maggie’s voice.

“What?” He asked, confused.

“Enid is awake, and she confirmed your story exactly so I’m getting you out of here. Anybody who disagrees with my decision can fuck off.”

“Rad.” Carl hurried out of the cell and followed Maggie from the barracks.

“I still need you to lay low and stick close until this all dies down.” Maggie said with a stern look.

“Of course… but what about the girl in there? Couldn’t we bring her in the house, somewhere more comfortable?”

“Are you serious? No way! She’s dangerous.”

“She’s in a room by herself. At least untie her. How dangerous could she be?”

Maggie cocked an eyebrow, but then sighed and shrugged her shoulders, leading him toward the medical trailers.


	6. The Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negan makes due with an undignified position in Alexandria’s prison cell, while Lydia finds herself set free from the barracks in Hilltop.

**Chapter Six: The Freedom**

 

_Drip… drip… drip._

He was always woken from his sleep by that constant, tepid refrain. It was like a slow alarm, cuing him into wakefulness no matter how much he wanted to stay far away from the shitty reality that was a ramshackle cell and lumpy cot. He hated that fucking sound and he growled at it as it forced him awake.

_Drip…drip…drip._

Just a moment later he realized another sound had contributed to his sudden consciousness. Footsteps sounded from the floor above and before long he heard the familiar click and squeal of the basement door knob. The sound of boot heels thudding down the steps soon brought them into view, along with shapely jean-clad thighs and waist length twisted dreadlocks.

“Well, fuckin’ well!” Negan chuckled as he rubbed his face and stood up. “Boss man must be really fuckin’ busy to send his woman down here to do his dirty work.”

He grinned as Michonne glared at him, put a plastic cup and plate down on a nearby shelf, then started across the room to drag a huge tin tub into view.

“It is bath day.” He snickered, watching her go into the unfinished bathroom where she retrieved a hose and industrial-sized soap bottle.

“Yeah, yeah… get all the jokes out of your system. I know you don’t get much of a chance to.” Michonne mumbled, unimpressed with his wit as usual.

She turned the hose on and set it into the tub, squirting a generous amount of soap, glaring all the while.

“Awe, c’mon gorgeous, I know you’re here for the show.” He made a point of licking his lips and waggling his eyebrows as he took his shirt off and began to undo his pants.

Michonne rolled her eyes as he pulled them down slowly, kicking them off with his shoes and socks.

“Keep the shorts on.” She grumbled, turning the hose off and rolling it up as she made her way back into the unfinished bathroom.

“Don’t you know it’s unsanitary to leave your fuckin’ fun bits unwashed?”

“You can wash ‘em under the shorts.” She barked shortly, still out of view.

She came back, and he saw that she was reaching into her pocket. He recognized the crude brass key he knew would grant him temporary freedom.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” She warned, her glare becoming particularly sharp.

“You know I’m beyond all that… C’mon now.” He chuckled as he backed away from the entrance of his cage, careful of the sparse room he was allowed.

Michonne just shook her head as she opened the door and jerked her chin toward the tub. Negan bit his tongue with a provocative flare, marching over to his pathetic bath. The water was warm, at least. He stood in it, knee-deep, as he scrubbed awkwardly, careful to get every crook and crevice. He used a rough wash cloth that was provided, but enjoyed leering at Michonne. She was a nice change from Rick the Prick, even if she just stood against the wall, looking at him wearily from the corner of her eyes.

“So, where is the big man? I know he wouldn’t subject you to this unless he had to.” He said, working soap to foam in his beard.

“We’ve got a lot going on. Two new groups, one might be hostile.” She replied shortly.

“The world’s never as small as you think, even after it ends.” He murmured.

“Yeah, some of our guests heard about you and actually wanted to pay you a visit. I thought the less you smelled the better.”

“New visitors? Well, you know that would just tickle my fuckin’ fancy.” He laughed, rinsing and stepping out of the tub.

Michonne only glared as she tossed him a towel. Negan chuckled more, watching her move his meal onto the tiny table in his cell.

“Oh, don’t worry now. I’ll be on my best behavior.” He said, with a wink.

Her dark gaze shifted over the length of his pathetic cage.

“Maybe you could clean this shit up a bit.” She grumbled as her eyes took in his drawings.

Negan couldn’t help putting his tongue in his cheek.

“What? You don’t think they’ll appreciate my artwork?”

“I don’t even know why you bother with this shit. You know she hates you, don’t ya?” Michonne said as she motioned for him to hurry it up.

“Well, you know what they say,” he began as he finished drying himself and walked easily back into his cage. “Love and hate are but two side of the same blade.” He glanced at her sword, forever slung over her shoulder, as he gripped the bars.

She looked like she was going to respond, but a sudden commotion outside the tiny basement window interrupted her. She slammed the door and yanked the key out, then hurried up the stairs two at a time. Negan watched her go, then his eyes flitted down as he heard a slow creaking sound. He knew the story that noise told even as he watched the door of his cage ease open a few inches.

“Well, fucking Hell…”

 

* * *

 

Carl laughed with a purity of spirit he had not felt for some time. He adjusted the brim slightly and grinned some more.

“Do you like it?” He asked.

Her own grin answered him, warming his heart even more.

“Not really, but I do like you.” Lydia replied, sliding the brim back to its original position.

He held the door to her cell wide, growing more serious as he reiterated a warning.

“Now you really have to understand how serious I am. I’m responsible for you and if you put my people in danger, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Lydia nodded as she exited to her freedom.

“I already said okay. I understand, Carl. I’m not going to do anything.”

“Alright,” he said, back to grinning. “Than how about a tour of Hilltop?”

She nodded again, and he led her out of the barracks and into the bright afternoon sunshine. She was very impressed with the Big House; Maggie had shown it to her earlier while allowing her to take a shower. That experience she’d been even more impressed with, though. He hadn’t been shocked to learn she hadn’t had a real bathing experience since the world fell. It appeared her life in the woods had been very rough. She asked him to go near the chicken coops and proceeded to sit in the field that spread out behind them.

“I like the little sounds they make.” She said with a soft smile.

Carl sat beside her and they both enjoyed the quiet sunshine for a time.

“What do your people eat? I guess you don’t have chickens.” He said.

“Mostly wild plants, berries and such. We grow wild gardens when we can, and we scavenge dead animals sometimes.”

Carl hesitated slightly before asking his next question.

“Have you… Have your people ever eaten any of the people you kill?”

“No,” she looked over and frowned. “We aren’t the dead.”

“Well, I don’t know. You seem to kinda… worship them or something.” Carl picked at the grass awkwardly.

“Maybe a bit. The dead have inherited the earth. We’re just trying to survive… but not like that.”

“We’ve come across cannibals before. We’ve lost friends to them.” He said softly.

“I’m sorry. The world is full of horror now. I guess we’re all just trying to survive.” Lydia replied.

“We’re trying for more than that, though. That’s why my dad started the no killing rule, at least for people. We have struggled with it; there was a big war, but he’s trying to keep it the norm. He wants us to find our civility again.”

“What if other people won’t let you find it?” She glanced over, looking scared.

“There might be some hiccups along the road but… we’ll get there.”

“You did say you would kill me… Is that the kind of hiccup you mean?”

Carl shook his head with a deep sigh.

“I was just trying to get my point across. I’m sorry, okay?”

Lydia smiled in response.

“I understand. So… Why do you wear that eyepatch?” She asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, nobody wants to see under this thing.” He turned his face away, feeling the shame rise.

“I do.” She replied softly.

“No, really… you don’t.”

“No,” her fingers were gentle on his jawline, turning his head back toward her. “I do.”

He bit his lip. He didn’t want her to look at him like Enid did, but when she reached up to move his patch away he didn’t stop her.

She only smiled wider as she gazed at his pitted socket, though. She moved closer to him and he thought for a moment she was going to kiss his cheek, but her tongue reached out to run a ticklish line along his ruined eye, shocking him completely. She moved over and her lips brushed along his earlobe, bringing gooseflesh to the surface of his skin.

“Have you ever had sex before?” Her voice breathed.

He shook his head dumbly.

“I can show you.”

He just stared at her. The sounds of the mingling chickens had somehow grown loud. He was trying to formulate a response but before he could her lips were on his. He kissed her back, heat growing all throughout his body. His hands came up around her, just as hers began to push his shirt up and over his head. Then her hot mouth was moving down his chest and stomach as her fingers undid his pants.

Holy Hell… This was escalating quickly.

He helped her get his pants down and off, along with his shoes and socks. Then he rushed to help her with her own clothes. She was moving so quickly. He was marveling at her naked limbs, her perky breasts and bare cherry-red nipples, but then her lips were crashing into his again. He tried to slow her down, kissing her neck slowly, caressing and massaging her skin… She seemed impatient, though, shoving him hard on his back.

A gasp escaped his lips as she climbed over him. Her hands were grasping his hard penis as she spread her legs on either side of his hips. A kind of heat and wetness he’d never imagined slid over the head, edging down, inch-by-inch. He let his head fall back on the soft grass as a wave of unbelievable pleasure shored up within him. He knew that it was ready to crash, and he tried to keep it at bay… to savor the moment… Lydia rode him hard and fast, though, and before he knew it he was holding her hips down roughly against him as an ecstasy he’d never experienced wrecked his very being.

Lydia kissed him softly, but deeply, then rolled over to lay with him in the grass. They both got dressed in a kind of awed silence, then lay together again.

“That was nice.” She said.

“Uh-huh…” Carl was still somewhat in shock.

“No, really… I mean… It was kind of clumsy but…  _Sweet_. All the other times I’ve done it, it was usually really fast but also, it would hurt sometimes… and sometimes I wouldn’t even want to do it, but—”

Carl stared at her in shock and she cut off, looking away.

“It was okay. That’s just how it is with my people. It was fine…” She murmured.

“Fine?! Wait, are you talking about rape?”

Lydia scoffed, shaking her head.

“There is no rape anymore. That went away when the world did. Do animals rape each other? Rape doesn’t exist in nature. Rape is just a word we made up to convince ourselves we’re not animals.”

“Semantics aren’t the issue here, Lydia! Your people, they made you do things against your will. That’s wrong.”

“Well, that’s just the way it is. But I’m trying to say something, Carl. Let me finish.”

He stopped himself, only replying with,

“Okay.”

“I see now… I mean, you’ve shown me another way. You’ve been so nice and, the way your people love… It’s really something special. I don’t want to go back.”

“And you don’t have to!” He turned her face gently, so she could see how serious he was.

“C’mon, let’s go talk to Maggie. She’ll tell you.” He reached for his eyepatch.

“Don’t, Carl,” Lydia stopped him.

“What?”

“Don’t cover up your eye. It’s like hiding a piece of you.” She moved closer to him again.

“I think it’s beautiful.”

Carl couldn’t help smiling as she kissed him again.


End file.
